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Jesuit Entity Supporting Thousands Fleeing Sudan War at “an outreach point” in South Sudan

A JRS staff attending some persons fleeing violence in Sudan. Credit: JRS

Jesuits Refugee Service (JRS), an international refugee entity of the Society of Jesus (Jesuits), has set up “an outreach point” at Renk in South Sudan’s Upper Nile State where thousands of persons fleeing the Sudan war that broke out on April 15 are being served.

In a Monday, May 22 interview with ACI Africa, Fr. Francis Njuguna highlighted the services that JRS is facilitating at Renk in the Northeastern part of South Sudan, one of the entry points for those fleeing violence in Sudan’s capital city, Khartoum.

“We have stationed an outreach point in Renk in which we are able to offer services from the Maban base such as psychological, first aid, physiotherapy services, and counseling,” Fr. Njuguna said.

The Jesuit Priest added that “all the services being offered there are basic and pretty much on a case-to-case basis, providing only temporary relief.”

More than a million people have reportedly been displaced in Sudan as fighting rages on between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) under General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), the paramilitary force under General Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, Reuters reported on May 19.

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The Reuters report further indicates that “843,000 people were displaced internally and around 250,000 people who have fled across Sudan's borders.”

On May 20, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the U.S. mediating the peace talks between the two sides in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, announced that representatives of SAF and RSF signed an Agreement on Short-Term Ceasefire and Humanitarian Arrangements  effective May 22 night.

The short-term ceasefire, which enters into force 48 hours after the signing of the Agreement, shall remain in effect for seven days and may be extended with the agreement of both parties.

In the May 22 interview with ACI Africa, Fr. Njuguna said JSR is offering material help for those fleeing Sudan violence.

“We are offering material help such as clothes, sports items, and sanitary material to them,” the Kenyan-born Jesuit Priest who serves as JRS Pastoral Coordinator in Maban said.

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The JRS official who doubles as the Parish Priest of St. Mark Parish of the Catholic Diocese of Malakal added, “We continue to accompany the new arrivals by giving directions and offering general information about self-care and what to expect in Renk.”

“At the moment we have only a few resources to enhance an assessment of the need so that we can look for the necessary resources to assist where we can,” Fr. Njuguna told ACI Africa during the May 22 interview.

Patrick Juma Wani is a South Sudanese journalist with a great zeal and interest for Catholic Church related communication. Patrick holds a Diploma in Journalism and Mass Communication from Makerere Institute for Social Development (MISD) in Uganda. He has over 7 years of extensive experience in leading the development and implementation of media, advocacy, communication and multimedia strategy and operations, with an excellent track record of editorial leadership, budget management, and stakeholder outreach. He currently works as a Journalist for ACI Africa.